Ladder



L. YR. WILLIAMS.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

LADDER.

`(No Model.)

gym/i v Arm/mfr No. 358,523. r Patented Malnvl, 1887.

" 2 sheets-sheet 2.-

L. R. WILLIAMS. 1

LADDER.

No. 358,523. Patented Mar. l, 1887.

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' tom to the top of each.

nirTnn STaTns PATENT Trice.

LEWIS R. VILLIAMS, OF LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,523, dated March l, 1887.

Application filed April 30, 1956. Serial No. $200,653. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lewis R. WILLL-iirs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is aspeoifieation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to that olass of ladders known as lazy-tongsg7 and the object of the invention is to provide asiniple, cheap, ladder of said class, that can be closely folded when not in use and conveniently packed, and mechanism for quickly and positively raising the same to a vertical or unfolded position, and means for governing its inclination from the ground; and the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a ladder constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown in an extended or raised position, the top thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is afront View of the same, and Fig. 3 is a detail in side elevation of the top. Fig. et is a side eleva tion of the ladder folded. Fig. 5 is a plan of the base and raising and lowering mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailshereinafter explained.

Like letters indicate like parts in all the gures.

A represents a rectangular base, which may be mounted upon a suitable truck. (Not shown.) At each side of the base, at about its center, are arranged suitable uprights or standards, B, which are vertically slotted, as at B', said slot extending from near the bot- Mounted in the vertical slot B and extending from one standard across the base to the other is a shaft, C, upon which the lowest side frames of the ladder are pivotally mounted.

D represents the side frames of the ladder, which consist of a series of lazy-tongs pivoted to each other at their ends, as at D D2, and at the middle, as at D, and comprising as many sections as desired, in accordance with the length of ladder required. Upon the pivots D2, which are tie-bars extending across the frame D, arepiVota-lly mounted ladder-sections E, said tie-bars passingthrough the upper ends of the side rails thereof and the lower ends of iheupperladder-section overlappingthe upper ends of the lower laddersections, said lower ends being provided with friction rollers E,so that as the ladder is raised or lowered the p lower ends of one section ride upon the lower section, the friction being reduced by reason of the rollers E', just referred to.

Upon one end of the base A, and at each side thereof, is mounted standards F, which form bearings for a spool-winding shaft or drum mounted therein. At one end of the spool F', or upon the journal thereof, is mounted a wheel or crank, F". Upon the base A, between the standards B and the spool F, is mounted at each side of said base pulleys G.

Extending from the lower terminals of the side frames, D, are ropes or chains II II,which pass under the pulleys G and once or twice around the spool F, and,if desired, through suitable eyes or guides, I.

rlhe upper end of the upper ladder-section, or it may be, as shown, the upper end of the side frame, is provided with a suitable grap pling-hook, J, one at each side, for the purpose of grappling an elevated object, as a window sill or cornice, and thus forming an additional support.

At suitable points upon the frame D are secured eyes K, from which are suspended. guyropes K.

It is plain that thejournal C upon which the ladder structure is mounted can be raised and lowered within the vertical transverse slot B', and for the purpose of securing said ladder structure at thetop of said standards I form a transverse slot, B2, (see Fig. 6,) at a right angle to the vertical slot B, which slot B2 is adapted to receive a bifurcated key, B", which forms a bearing and support for the structure when raised from its packed position (see dotted lines, Fig. 4) to its elevated position, (see full lines, Fig. 4.,) from which it may be eX- tended, as hereinafter described.

For the purpose of retaining the spool or windingldrum F at any desired point I have provided the journal thereof with a pawl and ratchet, F3. (See Fig. 5.)

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the above description, in that, taking the ladder in the position shown by full IOO lines in Fig. 4, it is only necessary to windthe wheel or crank F2, which revolves the drum F', coiling the rope therearound, which causes the two lower extremities of the side frame, D, to be drawn together. rlhis forces the toggle-joints to extend, carrying with them the ladder-sections, as clearlyshown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, the inclination of the ladder or structure being controlled by drawing more or less upon one pair of ropes, H H, than upon the other, which may be accomplished by slackening either of said pairs at a point outside of the eyes I, so that the spool or drum will fail to act thereon. The structure is held in the extended or open position by means of the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism at the side of the drum or spool F. To lower theladder it is simply necessary to disengage the pawl and ratchet'and reverse the turning of the crank F2. The guy ropes K serve to stay the structure sidewise.

If desired, I may provide an independent drum and crank for each of the pair ot' ropes or chains H H, whereby -by drawing lnore upon the one than the other the inclination of the structure as a whole will be more easily controlled.

The friction-rollers E are set partly in the edge of the side rails of the ladder-sections and mounted in retaining-straps L, embracing the roller and side rails and projecting to embrace the side rail of the next lower laddersection, thus acting to strengthen the upper side rail to protect the roller, and as a guide.

Having described my invention and its 0peration, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ladder of the class described, the combination of the side frames and laddersections mounted therein and adapted to slide one upon the other, the lower ends of each ladderfsection being provided with frictionrollers and retaining-straps, with mechanism, substantially as shown and described, for raising and lowering said frame, substantially as specified. f

2. The combination ofthe base A, standard B, slotted as at B B, with the ladder-sections E, side frame, D, and biftrrcated key B4, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the base A, slotted standard B, drum F', with the key B", side frame, D, ladder-sections E, and ropes H H', substantially as shown and described.

4. rIhe combination of the side frames, D, l.

ladder-sections E, overlapping each other and provided with rollers E', with the rope K', standards B, slotted as described, the key B4, base A, drum F, and pulleys G, and the ropes H HQ substantially as specited.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

V LEWIS R. VILLIAMS.

Vitnesses:

B. I). SMITH, G. F. HALL. 

